Board Members

Kurt Krizan is cur­rently the Direc­tor of STEM (EC-​6) for the Apple­ton Area School Dis­trict. He pre­vi­ously served as the Direc­tor of Cur­ricu­lum, Instruc­tion, and Assess­ment for the Lit­tle Chute Area School Dis­trict for five years and as a mid­dle school edu­ca­tor in the Oshkosh Area School Dis­trict for ten years. Kurt is an avid sports fan and enjoys coach­ing and watch­ing his two chil­dren, Jason and Isabella, par­tic­i­pate in a vari­ety of activities.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"Join­ing WASCD has pro­vided me with an oppor­tu­nity to sur­round myself with other pro­fes­sion­als who are focused on improv­ing teach­ing and learn­ing for ALL stu­dents in the state of Wis­con­sin. I am thank­ful to be a part of an orga­ni­za­tion that helps make me a bet­ter educator."

Rob Meyer serves the Beaver Dam Unified School District as the Direc­tor of Teach­ing & Learn­ing. He has pre­vi­ously served in edu­ca­tion as a Social Stud­ies Edu­ca­tor, Assis­tant Prin­ci­pal, and Principal.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"I am proud to serve WASCD as I believe in the power of shar­ing learn­ing, sup­port­ing col­leagues, and mak­ing a dif­fer­ence in kids lives through collaboration."

Kristi Levy is cur­rently the prin­ci­pal at Wash­ing­ton Ele­men­tary School in the Oshkosh Area School Dis­trict. Prior to her cur­rent posi­tion, Kristi served as a mid­dle and high school Eng­lish teacher and as an instruc­tional coach for Tech­nol­ogy Inte­gra­tion. Kristi has been a board mem­ber since 2019.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"As the edu­ca­tional land­scape con­tin­ues to change, the impor­tance of con­nect­ing edu­ca­tors is increas­ing and WASCD has a long his­tory of con­nect­ing edu­ca­tors around issues that mat­ter and work that is mean­ing­ful and I am excited to be part of this work."

Gayle Daniel is cur­rently an Ele­men­tary Prin­ci­pal with the School Dis­trict of Rhinelander. For the last 20+ years she also has served the chil­dren of WI as an ele­men­tary teacher, worked with Deaf & Hard of Hear­ing stu­dents, Cur­ricu­lum Direc­tor and sup­porter of all children.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"Becom­ing a mem­ber of this sup­port­ive orga­ni­za­tion was an easy deci­sion. Sur­round­ing one­self with pos­i­tive peo­ple that are ded­i­cated to improv­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties and expe­ri­ences for edu­ca­tors and stu­dents in WI will allow me to grow as an edu­ca­tional leader and deliver core val­ues that cre­ate pas­sion­ate life – long learn­ers of all ages."

Amy Vesperman is the Super­in­ten­dent of the Plum City School District. Prior to that she was the superintendent of Albany Schools and was a Direc­tor of Cur­ricu­lum and Instruc­tion in the Wis­con­sin Heights School Dis­trict. Over the last twenty years in edu­ca­tion she has had a vari­ety of edu­ca­tional roles. She has taught at all three lev­els of edu­ca­tion and been an admin­is­tra­tor at all three lev­els as well. Prior to becom­ing a Direc­tor of Cur­ricu­lum and Instruc­tion she was an Ele­men­tary Prin­ci­pal in the Dela­van– Darien School Dis­trict. She has been a High School Assis­tant Prin­ci­pal, Mid­dle School Dean of Stu­dents, 5^th Grade Teacher, Mid­dle School Math, Read­ing, Lan­guage Arts, Eng­lish, Social Stud­ies, Sci­ence, and At-​Risk Teacher, and a High School Eng­lish and His­tory Teacher. She is cur­rently work­ing on her Doc­toral Degree at Madi­son Edge­wood Col­lege. Her dis­ser­ta­tion is on reten­tion of teach­ers. Amy is a mem­ber of the Mem­ber Ser­vices Committee.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

“After attend­ing my first WASCD con­fer­ence I wanted to become involved with an orga­ni­za­tion who really is very pos­i­tive towards edu­ca­tion, up on all cur­rent ini­tia­tives, gives you resources that you can take back and use in your dis­trict, and who really val­ues edu­ca­tion and the kids that we serve. Through WASCD I have had the oppor­tu­nity to work with DPI on com­mit­tees and grants. WASCD has helped me grow as a pro­fes­sional and broad­ened my knowl­edge of cur­rent ini­tia­tives, and things that we should be doing in our schools effectively.”

Kim Brown is cur­rently the Direc­tor of Learn­ing and Com­mu­ni­ca­tion in the Oshkosh Area School Dis­trict. Her pri­mary respon­si­bil­i­ties include pro­fes­sional devel­op­ment and instruc­tional lead­er­ship. Prior to her cur­rent posi­tion, Kim served as an Ele­men­tary Teacher, Cur­ricu­lum Sup­port Spe­cial­ist, Prin­ci­pal, Assis­tant Direc­tor of Spe­cial Edu­ca­tion and Direc­tor of Early Learn­ing. Kim has been a board mem­ber since 2014.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"From my very first WASCD con­fer­ence, I was impressed with the pro­fes­sional devel­op­ment, vision of the orga­ni­za­tion, and the engag­ing dis­cus­sions. I am thank­ful to serve with inspir­ing and pas­sion­ate indi­vid­u­als who are com­mit­ted to suc­cess for all students."

Eric Larsen is the Executive Director of WASCD.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

Ann Franke is the Direc­tor of Instruc­tion for the Verona Area School Dis­trict. She has been a mem­ber of the WASCD board since 2009 and is cur­rently serv­ing as the Co-​Chair of the Mem­ber Ser­vices Com­mit­tee. Pre­vi­ously, Ann has been a high school Eng­lish teacher, Cur­ricu­lum Coor­di­na­tor, and the Direc­tor of Sec­ondary Edu­ca­tion for the Eau Claire School District.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"Being a mem­ber of WASCD has been one of the most pro­fes­sion­ally reward­ing expe­ri­ences I’ve had. This is a pas­sion­ate group of edu­ca­tors who care deeply about the chil­dren of Wis­con­sin and the work of WASCD reflects this."

Maria Kucharski has worked in edu­ca­tion the past 19 years within a vari­ety of capac­i­ties. She is cur­rently the “lead learner” as the Direc­tor of Teach­ing and Learn­ing in White­fish Bay. She has also servered as prin­ci­pal and cur­ricu­lum direc­tor in Ger­man­town, prin­ci­pal at Ket­tle Moraine, Dis­trict 4K coor­di­na­tor, K-​12 math and gifted and tal­ented admin­is­tra­tor, class­room teacher at MPS and Muk­won­ago, and finally an instruc­tional resource teacher (coach) for Elm­brook. All of these expe­ri­ences have lead to her dream of being a life long learner. Maria has been a mem­ber of the WASCD Board since 2010. She is cur­rently the chair of the WASCD New Direc­tors Program.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"Being a life long learner means becom­ing involved in orga­ni­za­tions who feel the same about edu­ca­tion and your pas­sion. Who wouldn’t love to be around peo­ple whose beliefs are “to achieve suc­cess for each learner”? WASCD is ded­i­cated to the whole child and every child!"

Holly Prast has been an edu­ca­tor since 1995, serv­ing as teacher and admin­is­tra­tor at all lev­els. In 2013 she earned her PhD in Lead­er­ship from Car­di­nal Stritch Uni­ver­sity. Her dis­ser­ta­tion topic was the foun­da­tion of a recent Cor­win pub­li­ca­tion, Com­mu­niy Based Learn­ing: Awak­en­ing the Mis­sion of Pub­lic Schools. Holly and her hus­band Jim are active singers/​performers and have four children.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"The tal­ents of the peo­ple in WASCD are phe­no­mal. It is a great honor to be sur­rounded by edu­ca­tors who pro­mote crit­i­cal think­ing, pro­duc­tive dis­course, and pro­gres­sive edu­ca­tional objectives."

Torrie Rochon-Luft is the principal at Hortonville Middle School and Fox West Academy. She started her edu­ca­tional career as a 3^rd-​grade teacher in Shawano then moved to De Pere and became a mem­ber of the Uni­fied School Dis­trict of De Pere for 7 years as a ³⁄₄ mul­ti­age teacher and 4^th-​grade teacher. She was a part of staff devel­op­ment, writ­ing cur­ricu­lum and served on many com­mit­tees that helped her to grow and flourish~always hav­ing a pas­sion for learn­ing, grow­ing and work­ing with kids. After 11 years as a teacher, she became an assis­tant prin­ci­pal in Menasha at Maple­wood Mid­dle School for four won­der­ful years and then moved into her role as prin­ci­pal at Sabish Mid­dle School for six years of learn­ing, grow­ing and lov­ing a staff com­pletely! She is now in the Hor­tonville Area School Dis­trict and couldn’t be hap­pier and prouder to be a part of this won­der­ful com­mu­nity com­mit­ted to nur­tur­ing all. She feels very blessed to be on the WASCD Board and being a part of the pro­gram com­mit­tee bring­ing excep­tional tal­ent and wis­dom to Wis­con­sin. She enjoys her fam­ily very, very much and especially watch­ing her daugh­ter play­ sports.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"WASCD has pro­vided me excite­ment in learn­ing over my edu­ca­tional career as a teacher, assis­tant prin­ci­pal and prin­ci­pal for the last seven years. It is a place where I can learn, take away ideas, be inspired, and develop last­ing col­lab­o­ra­tive rela­tion­ships. It embod­ies and fos­ters inspi­ra­tion, grit and tenac­ity in the ever chang­ing land­scape of edu­ca­tion. Don’t wait another minute, come and see for your­self what all the excite­ment is about!"

Nate Breitholtz is a Director of Instruction and Technology for the North Lakeland School District. Prior to his current role he as served as an Assistant Principal, Director of Instruction for CESA 8, and a classroom teacher. He has led numerous professional development sessions on MLSS both academic and behavioral, Data Based decision making, and many other areas in education and leadership. Nate has a deep passion for student engagement, continuous quality improvement, and doing what's right for young scholars. As a professional, he has been afforded opportunities to work with minds in many areas of education. This includes educational technology, lean and six sigma, instructional design, assessment, curriculum, student engagement, personalized learning, culture and climate, teacher evaluation/coaching, and many other areas.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"Anthony Muhammad says "culture always wins." I believe that this built at all levels, and as a professional, I have an obligation to both serve and learn with educators and the community to grow what is possible for our learners. Serving on the WASCD board has been a career goal of my own for years, and I greatly look forward to adding value where I can."

Rainey Briggs is a dynamic educator who has served as a cultural liaison, teacher, principal, and currently the Director of Elementary Education in the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District. As an African American boy growing up in poverty, Rainey quickly learned how to advocate for himself and others and has carried that passion over into his daily work. Rainey obtained his EdD from Edgewood College and wrote a dissertation on the Factors that Promote of Impeded the Success of African American Males in a Predominately White High School. Rainey strives to bring a voice to marginalized students and families. As a principal, he collaborated with staff and families to bring the motto “Every kid, Every day, Whatever it Takes” at the forefront of their school and a mission to live by daily. Dr. Briggs has worked with many school districts on providing professional development around equity and cultural responsiveness. He is also an adjunct professor at Edgewood College. Rainey is a husband to Julie, an educator herself, and the dad to three teenage daughters. When they are not in a gym or on a field, Rainey and his family enjoy traveling, spending time outdoors, and barbecuing.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"I became involved in WASCD because this provides opportunities for growth not only for me but for all educators that believe in the work to support and provide additional guidance to leaders and educators across the state of Wisconsin. "

Tony Fron­tier, PhD is co-​author of Five Leavers to Improve Learn­ing: Pri­or­itz­ing for Pow­er­ful Results in Your School (ASCD, 2014) and Effec­tive Super­vi­sion: Sup­port­ing the Art and Sci­ence of Teach­ing (ASCD, 2011). Tony has been a mem­ber of the WASCD board since 2009, and served as pres­i­dent in 2011. Tony is cur­rently the Direc­tor of Teacher Edu­ca­tion at Car­di­nal Stritch University.

Beth Galeazzi is currently the principal at Webster Stanley Elementary in Oshkosh. Prior to her role as a principal, Beth was a classroom teacher and an elementary math coordinator.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"I enjoy being involved with WASCD because it provides an opportunity for me to improve my own innovative learning and advocate for policies and practices that support quality teaching. "

Mary Gav­i­gan the Agency Admin­is­tra­tor at CESA #1 Pewau­kee. She has been a mem­ber of the WASCD board since 2001, and served as Pres­i­dent in 2006 – 2007. Cur­rently she is a Direc­tor Emeritus.

John directs the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Literacy and Mathematics Department. At the DPI, he leads the state’s work in the areas of literacy, English/language arts, and mathematics. Also, John leads all work on academic standards, and chairs the State Superintendent’s Academic Standards Review Council. Additionally, John is an adjunct lecturer at Edgewood College teaching a graduate level education policy and systems leadership course. In 2020, he was appointed by Governor Evers to serve as a member of the Wisconsin Arts Board. John earned his doctor of philosophy degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with his research focused on professional development and international experiences for educators and students. He also earned two master’s degrees, one in Educational Administration and one in Special Education–Learning Disabilities, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. John earned his bachelor’s degree in History from Georgetown University.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

" I became involved in WASCD to build my capacity and ability to advance student learning and, now, I add my role as the liaison for the DPI."

Kristi Klein served as a World Lan­guage (Span­ish) edu­ca­tor for more than 23 years in var­i­ous PK-​12 urban and sub­ur­ban set­tings. In addi­tion, she has acted as a leader in var­i­ous capac­i­ties such as Cur­ricu­lum Coor­di­na­tor and Depart­ment Head in mul­ti­ple schools where she taught. Kristi cur­rently serves as prin­ci­pal of a pri­vate, Catholic school in Port Washington.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"My men­tor inspired me to attend a board meet­ing as a guest. My expe­ri­ence con­vinced me that the mem­bers and the net­work of WASCD are com­prised of a col­lec­tive group of edu­ca­tors and crit­i­cal thinkers com­mit­ted to ensur­ing that all stu­dents receive a high-​quality edu­ca­tion and achieve at high levels."

Dr. Lori M. Mueller serves as the Dis­trict Admin­is­tra­tor for the School Dis­trict of Bara­boo. Mueller, com­pleted the doc­toral pro­gram at Edge­wood Col­lege, received her M.S. in Edu­ca­tional Admin­is­tra­tion from the Uni­ver­sity of Wisconsin-​Madison and a B.S. in French and Health edu­ca­tion from the Uni­ver­sity of Wisconsin-​Whitewater. In her 22 years in edu­ca­tion as a teacher, Direc­tor of Cur­ricu­lum and Instruc­tion, and now super­in­ten­dent, Mueller has pre­sented at regional, state, and national con­fer­ences on top­ics related to grad­ing for com­mu­ni­cat­ing stu­dent learn­ing, devel­op­ing assess­ment lit­er­acy, gifted and tal­ented ser­vices, imple­ment­ing a Response to Inter­ven­tion frame­work, con­tin­u­ous school improve­ment, and strate­gic planning.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"My first engage­ment with WASCD was as a teacher aspir­ing to improve teach­ing prac­tice. My expe­ri­ence with WASCD over the years pro­vided me knowl­edge and skills invalu­able in devel­op­ing lead­er­ship capacity."

Andrea Reichenberger is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for the Fond du Lac School District. Her educational career path began in the Menasha Joint School District as a library media specialist, classroom teacher, literacy coach, and coordinator. She then joined the Ashwaubenon School District curriculum leadership team as the District Literacy Coordinator. Andrea has taught every grade, 4K through the graduate level, in some capacity. She was an original member of the Literacy Coaching Collaborative through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and is an adjunct professor for the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. When the weather is nice, you will most often find Andrea floating in her pool reading anything published by Solution Tree, ASCD, or on the topic of equity in education.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"I became involved in WASCD to continue to connect and learn from my colleagues from across the state. I look forward to working with WASCD and its members with the shared goal of becoming better learners for all of our students. "

Ryan Ruggles is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction in the School District of Milton.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

Kelly Seichter is the Direc­tor of Cur­ricu­lum & Instruc­tion for the White­wa­ter School Dis­trict. She is cur­rently serv­ing on the WASCD Pro­gram Com­mit­tee. She’s pre­vi­ously been an ele­men­tary prin­ci­pal in the Min­eral Point School Dis­trict, the Read­ing Spe­cial­ist and Gifted/​Talented Coor­di­na­tor for the Mon­roe School Dis­trict and has had the plea­sure of being a class­room teacher in all grades K-​6 across sev­eral school dis­tricts.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

“WASCD is an impor­tant orga­ni­za­tion whose mis­sion goes to the heart of the impor­tant work edu­ca­tors do. Being a part of this wor­thy net­work has ben­e­fited me greatly. Not only have I gained col­leagues to net­work with across the state, but I also have the oppor­tu­nity to con­tribute to the greater edu­ca­tional community.”

Chris Van Hoof has been a mem­ber of the WASCD Board since 2006, where she par­tic­i­pated on the Pro­gram Com­mit­tee before being elected as Pres­i­dent in 2011. She is cur­rently on the board as the his­to­rian. Chris works for CESA 8 as the Direc­tor of Cur­ricu­lum, Instruc­tion, and Assess­ment (CIA). Prior to her cur­rent posi­tion, she was a direc­tor of CIA and a high school Eng­lish teacher for 28 years. Chris has served on a vari­ety of Wis­con­sin State Tasks Forces, par­tic­u­larly those involv­ing ELA.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?

"A friend tapped me on the shoul­der and encour­aged me to join. He believed WASCD had some great things to offer me, and I had a few skills to offer to WASCD in return. He was absolutely right. I’m really glad I lis­tened to him!"

Dr. Peter Wilson is a leader and educator with a passion for equity and excellence. Throughout his career, he has experience at all the different levels of a school system. Currently, he is the Director of Administrative Services for the DeForest Area School District in DeForest, Wisconsin, a suburban district of Madison, Wisconsin. Previously, he served as Director of Student Services for the Stoughton Area School District in Wisconsin. He has also served as middle school and elementary principal. Prior to his administrative roles, Dr. Wilson served as classroom teacher, mentor and high school tennis coach in the Waunakee Community School District. Peter holds a PhD and MS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, he has an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Grand Valley State University.

Why did you become involved in WASCD?